Sheet-separating mechanism.



No. 771,283. PATENTED OUT. 4, 1904. J. E. SMYTH.

' SHEET SEPARATING MECHANISM. APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 5. 1901. RENEWED JAN. 31. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1 PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904.

J. E. SMYTH'.

SHEET SEPARATING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5. 1901. RENEWED 3111.31, 1903.

vN0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented October 4, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. SMYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-SEPARATING MECHANISM- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,283, dated October 4, 1904. Application filed August 5, 1901. Renewed January 31, 1903. Serial No- 141,369. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. SMYTH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Separating Mechanism, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention has reference to a machine for separating sheets from a pile, and has for its object the employment of a needle together with suitable means connected therewith, whereby to exert requisite pressure thereon, and other devices or mechanisms for placing the point of such needle upon the top sheet of a pile of sheets, and for moving the needle until the point engages the top sheet without engaging the second sheet, and still other devices for giving motion to press the needle through the sheet whereby to separate the said sheet from the pile.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine in which a needle is employed for separating sheets from a pile, and to so construct the mechanism and actuating devices thereof that the separation can be effected by causing a needle to pierce the upper sheet, then turning the needle until the base portion of the point bears against the second sheet, and the apex of the point is out of contact with the second sheet, and then giving motion to the needle to press it through the sheet, whereby the pierced sheet is separated from the rest of the pile.

The above, as well as such other objects as may hereinafter appear I attain by means of a construction which I have illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a view showing a needle constructed as a part of my invention, in position over a pile of sheets of paper, before it has been caused to descend upon the pile in order to separate the sheets thereof.

Figure 2 is a view of the same needle after it has been brought down to bear upon the upper sheet of the pile.

Figure 3 shows the position of the needle and the mechanism which actuates the same,

after the point of the needle has pierced the top sheet.

Figure 4 shows the position of the needle and parts after the point and a portion of the shank of the needle have been drawn through the top sheet, and the same has been separated from the rest of the sheets in the pile.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the needle mechanism with the ends of the two actuating arms,

Figure 6 is a view (somewhat enlarged) of the needle point, showing the way in which it pierces the first sheet,

Figure 7 shows the position of the needle point with reference to the paper, after the needle has been rotated to bring it to bear against the base portion of the point,

Figure 8 shows the needle after it has been pushed through the upper sheet and separated the same from the balance of the sheets in the p Figure 9 is a view showing the cam actuating mechanism for moving the levers which carry the needle point,

Figure 10 is a detail of one of the cams which gives the lifting and lowering motion to the needle, and

Figure 11 shows the two cams which give the reciprocating movement to the levers, which results in causing the various operations of the needle depicted in Figures 1 to 4 inelusive.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 to a inclusive, it will be seen that I have therein represented a pile of sheets marked 1, the upper one of which is marked 2. Above such pile of sheets I have mounted a needle 3, having a point 4, comprised of the base portion 5, and the apex 6, the said needle being carried in a needle carrier 7 and pressed upon at its top by a spring 8, held under adjustable tension of a screw 9, and pivotally mounted at 10 in a needle carrying lever 11, which is pivotally carried at 12 in an arm 13, and which at the opposite side of said arm has a kind of hell crank extension 1 1, engaging bya pivotal connection 15 another arm 16, which in some cases operates longitudinally relative to the arm 13, and in other cases moves in unison with the arm 13, as will appear from the description of the operation, which 1 will shortly give.

Referring to Figure 5, it will be seen that the needle case 7, which is pivotally mounted at the upper end of the needle lever 11, has a spring 17, which tends to push the case against the collar 18 fixed on the end of the arm 11, so as to cause engagement of the beveled projection 19 with the wedged shaped notch 20, the purpose of the said projection and notch being to hold the needle in a certain angular relation to the other parts, particularly the arm 11, so that in descending upon the paper it will strike the paper in a certain position. From the said Figure 5 it will also appear that the point of the needle projects downward through a paper clip 21, which is in the nature of a kind of guard designed to press or hold down the paper while the needle goes through the several movements requisite to effect the separation of the upper sheet from those of the pile below it.

Referring now to Figures 9 to 11 inclusive, it will be seen that the movements of the needle are accomplished by means of the cam devices which impart movement to the levers, or arms, or connecting rods 13 and 16, these several cam actuating devices being carried or primarily driven from a driving shaft 22 (see Fig. 9). Upon the shaft 22 are mounted a wheel 23, containing a groove 24:, which engages a stud 25 upon the arm 16, a wheel 26, containing a cam-groove 27, engaging a stud 28 upon the arm 13, and a cam-wheel 29 engaging or operating upon a wheel 30, carried on a projection 31 of the lever 32, which being fulcrumed at 33 upon a bracket 34: fixed to the frame 35, and connected at its opposite end 36 to the lever 13, imparts a movement to the lever in a direction to rock or rotate the same about the shaft 22, the lever 13, as well as the lever 16 being formed to surround the shaft 22 by virtue of the openings 37 and 38. The cam-groove 24: engaging the stud 25, on the arm 16, tends to impart to said arm a longitudinal movement,

while the cam-groove 27 engaging the stud 28, tends to impart a longitudinal movement to the arm 13, the two arms thus moving longitudinally relative to each other, giving a movement of rotation or revolution to the needle lever 11, about the pivot 12 as a center of rotation.

.The operation of my device is as follows.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figure 1, and the shaft 22 to begin to rotate, the first efiect will be an elevation of the wheel 30, by means of the cam 29, which through the lever 32 will raise the point 36 and cause a depression of the needle, because both the outer ends of the levers or arms 13 and 16 will be moved downward as the point 36 is moved upward, this bringing the needle down into the position shown in Figure 2, in

which the point of the needle contacts with the paper, and partially enters the upper sheet of the pile. The position of the needle relative to the upper sheet is clearly shown on a larger scale in Figure 6, at this point of the operation. The continued rotation of the shaft 22 now acts by virtue of the cam 2 1 to impart a longitudinal movement to the arm 16, in a direction to the left of the drawing, rotating the needle lever 11 about the pivotal point 12 as an axis of rotation, and bringing the parts to the position shown in Figure 3, at which time the relative relation between the point of the needle and the top sheet of paper is shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 7, from which latter figure it will more clearly appear that the apex 6 of the needle point has penetrated the first sheet of paper, and the needle has by its rotative movement turned around until the base portion 5 of the needle point has become a kind of fulcrum about which the paper or upper sheet is carried up by the apex 6, so as to bring it away from the sheet below it on the pile. The cams 24 and 27 now act in unison to draw the. arms 13 and 16 both toward the right, which brings the needle to the position shown in Figures 1 and 8, in which the same has been pushed through the upper sheet, at which time the needle is again lifted by the action of the cam 29 against the roller 30, separating the sheet from the balance of the sheets in the pile, the turning of the needle down until the base 5 of the point was in contact with the sheet below, having prevented the point from penetrating the sheet below. The edge of the upper sheet having been thus separated from the balance of the sheets in the pile, it may be fed to a printingpress by suitable feeding mechanism, or may be handled or subsequently treated in any other manner which may be desirable. The sheet having been removed from the needle, the cam 2a again acts on the lever 16 to bring the needle to its original position as shown in Figure 1.

The spring 8 bears against the upper end of the needle, and is adapted to afford a resilient or yielding pressure of the needle upon the upper sheet of the pile, when it is brought into contact therewith, so as to permit the point to pierce said sheet without penetrating the second sheet, and the said spring 8, by means of its adjusting device, is adjustable in tension, so as to cause such yielding pressure to be equal to just the amount necessary to produce the desired penetration of the first sheet, without the penetration 'of the second sheet.

The spring 17, shown in Figure 5, is for the purpose of holding the needle and its case or holder in the position normally, which is shown in Figure 1, and at the same time of pressing the needle case laterally, so as. to.

cause the projection 19 to engage the recess 20, which further aids in holding the needle in this position at the proper period of the movement of the several arms. The sides of the recess 20, and of the projection 19 engaging therewith being made of inclined shape, permit the needle to be rotated to the positions shown in the other figures, when the needle point is brought into contact with the top sheet of the pile, while at the same time it affords a check or guide which helps to' hold the needle in proper position, that is, with the proper degree of inclination, as shown in Figure 1, when the needle is raised from the pile. The spring 17 thus acts in a two-fold manner, it exerts a pressure transversely to cause the engagement between the recess 20 and the notch 19, and it acts as a centering device, tending to resist movement of the needle in either direction away from the position of angularity shown in Figure 1.

Referring now particularly to Figures 10 and 11, it is further to be observed that in the operation of the apparatus, the shaft 22, with the attached wheel rotating in the direction shown by the arrows in Figures 10 and 11, thepins 25 and 28, which, in the position shown in Figure 11, are indicated as at approximately the same point, travel around in their respective grooves 24 and 27, or more properly the grooves travel around the pins, in a direction shown by the said arrows, and impart to the said pins the several movements necessary to secure the proper operation of the devices hereinabove described. Thus when the grooves are passing from the points indicated by the position of pin 28, in Figure 11, to the point marked a in said figure, the course of the pins is practically the same, the grooves running parallel to this place. The direction toward the center of the shaft 22, tending however, before the pins reach the point a, to draw inward or toward the shaft the two pins together, so as to pull the needle'through the sheet of paper, as shown in Figure 4. Further rotation of the cam-wheels causes a movement outward or away from the shaft 22, of the pin 28, with- V out changing the relative distance of the pin 25 from said shaft, which causes the needle to return to more nearly upright position, substantially such as is shown in Figure 1. This takes place just before the grooves turn sufliciently far to bring the pins into the position indicated by the lines at 25' and 28 Before the point in the grooves marked a is reached, the cam 29, through the lever 32, and the pin 36 connected by the slotted opening with the lever 13, operates to raise the needle mechanism free from the pile, the cam constructions being such that the edge of the sheet which has been pierced is lifted just before the needle is brought back to the position shown in Figure 1, which movement disengages the sheet from the needle, and leaves the sheet in position to be taken by hand or suitable feed mechanism off the pile, preparatory to the use of the devices described, in the separation of the next adjacent sheet.

The cam 29 next operates to depress the needle mechanism through contact with the adjacent sheet about the time when the pins occupy a position in the grooves indicated by 25 and 28 respectively, on Figure 11.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for separating sheets from a pile, comprising a needle, mechanism for placing the needle point upon the top sheet and moving theneedle until the point engages the top sheet without engaging the second sheet, and devices for giving motion to press the needle through the sheet, whereby the pierced sheet is separated from the pile, substantially as described.

2. A machine for separating sheets from a pile, comprising a needle, a needle point on said needle having an apex and a base part, mechanism for placing the apex of said needle point upon the top sheet, and for moving the same through the top sheet but not into engagement with the second sheet, means for turning the needle until the base portion of the point becomes a fulcrum of rotation for the apex of the point, and until the apex of the point, is out of contact with the second sheet, and devices for giving motion to press the needle through the sheet whereby the pierced sheet is separated from the rest of the pile, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH E. SMYTH.

In presence of PAUL SYNNnsrvEDT, PAUL CARPENTER. 

